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Thursday, February 24, 2011

I want to share the lyrics to the song "Starry Night" by Chris August because I love the song so much!

"Starry Night"

From the Birds that Sing, In the Tallest Trees.
To the Human Life, of you and me.
From the Desert Sands, to the place we stand.
He is God of All, He is Everything.

I'm giving my life to the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every starry night, that was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only Son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause He is everything
'Cause He is everything

From the autumn leaves, that will ride the breeze
To the Faith it takes, to pray and sing
From the Painted sky, to my plank filled eye
He is God of all, He is everything

I'm giving my life to the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every starry night, that was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only Son,who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause He is everything

Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe

Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe

I'm giving my life to the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun
On that starry night, He changed my life.
I'm giving it all to the only Son who gave me hope when I had none.
So let the praises ring,
Let the Praises Ring
He is everything

This song is a reminder to me that God is the God of anything and everything I can ever think of! I am so very grateful that He is the one in control.

Last night Jason and I went to a preview at Flint Hill where we are getting married. They had everything set up like it was a wedding. They served drinks, appetizers, a buffet dinner, wedding cake, and other desserts. It was fun to see everything decorated so beautifully! It was also good to taste some of the food options. And of course, I love free cake! :)

This is the garden where our ceremony will take place. I can't believe we are only three months away. It doesn't seem that way. The wedding has been so far away for so long that I'm having a hard time believing it's so close!

We have our second wedding shower on Saturday. I'm very excited to get to see some of my family and close friends again. My great aunt is coming from out of town just for my shower! She is my Nana's sister, so it is very special to me that she be there. Jason and I are so very blessed to have so many family members and close friends who are like family supporting us!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Today is a special day. It is my Papa's birthday. If he was still alive, he would have been 86 today. I would love to celebrate with him, but he is celebrating with Jesus today and everyday! Charles and I spent every summer with our grandparents, and we had lunch at their house every single Sunday after church until we went to college. They also lived in our basement for probably 7 or 8 years. I still miss them very much. There are so many times I want to give them a hug or ask their advice. What I truly hate the most is that neither of them will get to be there on May 21st for the wedding.

There are a couple things I am so very grateful to my Nana and Papa for:

1. Their example of true love- They were married almost 63 years when Papa passed away.

2. Their example of Godly living- They both trusted God so much and were so in tune to Him and His will.

3. Their example of service- Nana and Papa were constantly giving to others whether it was love, time, money, etc.

This week I have been reading the book of James.

James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Nana and Papa lived this verse out daily. I pray that I can be better out not just reading the Bible, but really applying it to my life.

James 2:8 "If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."

I think Nana and Papa represent this verse well. They constantly loved on others and put them above themselves. This is another thing I want to work on. I pray that I can begin to really love others as myself and serve others.

Let me start by saying I LOVE weekends. And this past weekend was definitely a great one! It was one of the few weekends when nothing was planned. My brother, Charles, was home too! I love it when he comes home from college. :) Anyway, all the free time on Saturday gave me plenty of time to get somethings done that needed to be done. I got my room and bathroom clean. I even had a chance to give sweet Daisy Duke a bath! Here she is all fresh and clean!

Charles, Jason, and I went to look into renting tuxes for the wedding on Saturday afternoon. We have a pretty good idea of what we want, and Charles and Jason got measured so that's out of the way. After we got back from dinner, we started working on the basement. There is an in law suite in my parent's basement where my grandparents used to live. Since Jason and I don't know where we will have jobs when we get married our plan is to move into the basement. We think it is best not to have to worry about a lease. Jason bought us a stainless steel refrigerator about a year and a half ago from a friend of his that was moving. It has been hanging out in the youth room since then. Jason brought it to the house last week so we could put it in the kitchen. It was completely disgusting though! It took me TWO hours to clean! Luckily all the shelves and everything come out which made it so much easier. I wish I had a before picture, but here it is after I cleaned it.

And here it is in it's place in the kitchen.

We think it looks great! We were also able to rearrange some furniture in the living room and take out some things we aren't going to use. We are making it our own! I can't wait to move all the great gifts from our shower in!

Sunday we visited a new church. It was really nice to go to a different church. We loved the Sunday school class we went to, everyone was so honest and genuine. The message was good too, and the pastor seems nice. I think we are probably going back there again on Sunday. I want to find a church where we can really get on board with what the church is doing!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Today it is officially only 100 more days until the wedding! We have come such a long way since the countdown was over 500 days when we started! We pretty much have all the big things taken care of: date, venue, dress, bridesmaids dresses, cake, flowers, photographer, videographer, honeymoon and food. We still need to take care of tuxes for all the guys, our wedding bands, and addressing all the invites. I'm sure there are other things too; that's what the checklist at theknot.com is for! :)

Tomorrow is my last day on this rotation, which means there are only two rotations left before graduation! Only 10 more weeks of free labor. Pretty exciting!

I am very much looking forward to this weekend. I hope there will be time to rest and relax!

"The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.' That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."Genesis 2:23-24

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

I have great expectations for the year 2011. So many good things are coming this year. However, so far this year has not been the best. Jason and I have experienced a lot of struggles and pain in this short time. We have had to make some really hard decisions. As if our future wasn't uncertain enough, I feel that now it is riddled with even more uncertainty. It has been stressful, painful, and sometimes overwhelming.

I had an interview yesterday for a job after graduation. They asked me about my personal life. After explaining the current situation Jason and I have found ourselves in recently, the interviewers pointed out that our situation sounds very stressful and asked how I deal with all the stress. What a great question!! My only answer is God and prayer. I am glad that they asked me that question because it gave me the opportunity to share my faith in God and his provision for my life. It also caused me to realize how much I truly rely on God to help me in every circumstance. I think sometimes I forget how much I really do need God. Having to answer that question was a great reminder to me. As Jason always says, "You never know how much you need Jesus until He is all that you have."

I also don't think the pain, struggles and tough decisions have been in vain. I have learned a lot since the beginning of the year, even though it has been a short amount of time. These are things I have learned or that I knew but have become so much more real to me:

1. God knows exactly where I have been and exactly where I am going. His plan for me has been set since the beginning of creation. (Psalm 139)2. I have learned who my true friends really are.3. I have also learned to value and appreciate my true friends even more.4. I have learned to trust my intuition. 5. Following what God's plan is for me is most important. It doesn't matter what other people think. It is not God's plan for them.

While the first part of 2011 has not been the best, I am thankful for the experiences. What has happened this year has brought Jason and I closer together and strengthened our relationship. It has also strengthened my relationship with God. And I still have high hopes for the year 2011. It can only get better from here!

Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Today was Jason and I's last Sunday at our church. These are my thoughts about the future:

When I met Jason, I was sixteen years old. Jason and I were friends, and I considered him a good friend but never looked at him as anything more. If someone had told me at sixteen that in a couple years I would be dating Jason, I never would have believed it! Now here we are seven years later about to get married. Sometimes I look back and think, how did we get to here from there? I know exactly how… God. When I was sixteen and focused on a bunch of stuff that wasn’t important, God was leading me here. God knew that Jason was the one for me way back then. It amazes me! Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God knew everything that would happen to me up until this very moment, and He knows everything single thing that will happen to me from this moment on. Who am I to try and control anything in my life? God can see the big picture. God says in Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” I will never be able to fully understand God or His plans. But isn’t that the point? There isn’t much need for faith or trust if we know the plan, know exactly what will happen. God is the one who knows and can see how all things work together. Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” And God is the one holding all things together. Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

A lot of things are changing. After much prayer and consideration, Jason and I have decided to step down from youth ministry. This is a scary step. I have so much peace about it, and I know we are making the right decision. We are doing what God is calling us to do. And sometimes that is a scary step to take. Why is it scary? We don’t know where we will be led next. To me the unknown is always the scariest place. It is also scary to me because in less than four months we will be married and neither of us is employed. It is scary to think that neither of us will have a job when we finally become husband and wife. However, as scary as it all is, I take great comfort in the fact that God has already been where we are going. He knows exactly what will happen and exactly where we will end up. He loves us more than we could ever ask or imagine. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” He has a plan for us, a plan that has been set since the very beginning of creation. If there is anything I have learned while Jason and I have been together it is that God is our provider. He has NEVER let us down, and He NEVER will. Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

I know that God has taught me this valuable lesson because I have changed as a result. I am a worry wart. I worry about anything and everything. But as scary as this step Jason and I are taking is, I am not worried. I have a peace about it that only God can give. Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I know that no matter what God is in control and no matter what my circumstances may be He is holy, loving, graceful, merciful, faithful, and trustworthy. “All of my life, in every season, You are still God. I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship!”

I am so thankful for all God has done for me and is still doing in my life. I pray that I will fall more and more in love with Him daily. I am so thankful the God I serve is able to do immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine! Ephesians 3:16-21 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled with the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” God, I look forward with eager anticipation to all that you have planned for Jason and me.

Friday, February 4, 2011

I decided to start this blog because of all the changes that are happening in my life this year. 2011 is a very exciting year for me. I will finally graduate from college in May and have my Doctorate in Pharmacy. Another exciting happening in May is our wedding! On May 21st I will become Jason's wife. This is what I am looking forward to most about this year! Jason is my best friend and the love of my life. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him and start this new chapter in our lives. I will also be finding a job and starting my life in the work world which is going to be very different from all the time I've spent in school. Jason and I are also waiting to see what God has in store for us in His ministry. Jason is a youth pastor. I know that God has something amazing planned for us in the next year. I can't wait to see what it is. With all these changes, I want to remember every detail, so I will be keeping track of all these exciting changes in this blog. And so we begin our journey....